


Even if the world ends we still have each other

by comic_ztar789



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anger Management, Angst, Arguments, Chitauri - Freeform, Coming of Age, Everything starts falling apart, Gen, Imprisonment, Interrogation, Jokes, Morality Dilemma, On the Run, Protective Avengers, Repression, SCIENCE!, SHIELD, Smartass Comments, Some Fluff, Superpowers, Training Montage, kicking alien ass, let’s see what happens, losing hope, then getting back again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23484883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comic_ztar789/pseuds/comic_ztar789
Summary: Annika has lost all hope for a normal lifeAlice is afraid of losing everythingCameron has given up on humanityMaybe saving the world can give them exactly what they need.—-Watch as three people start off as nobodies to becoming part of Earth’s Mightiest HeroesHilarity ensues(Set during The Avengers, but in the alternate timeline where Loki got away with the Tesseract.)





	Even if the world ends we still have each other

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve made Avenger’s fanfics before but they all sucked. 
> 
> This is the one I’ve liked the most. 
> 
> Be prepared for jokes, angst, the possibility it will take forever to update
> 
> (Or otherwise a way for me to kill time until quarantine is over)

New York City, New York

_ … We’re idiots. _

Huddled near the doorway of the immense server room at SHIELD headquarters, three young “security breaches” were attempting to enact the most insane plan any of them had come up with; hack into the world’s most prominent shadow organization and  effectively disappear.

Truly, SHIELD is the pinnacle of security.

One was crouched in front of a terminal with her reliable but cheap laptop plugged in “hacking the shit out of this place” as she would so eloquently put it. She is the youngest of the three at only 17. Another stood guard in front of the door they had previously overridden. Her hands were stuffed deep inside her hoodie pockets, tapping a frenzied rhythm with her foot as the seconds ticked by. She was the eldest of the trio at 19. The last one, standing a ways from the both of them, tensed as an alternate terminal an unknown distance away randomly sounded a high pitched tone. 

Her name was Annika, and she had just turned 18 years old the week before. 

She stood stiff and straight in the darkness of the room, exuding an aura of restlessness that only served to intensify the pressure in the air. Her eyes darted back and forth between the others as she unconsciously fiddled with the zipper of her denim jacket. The rapid tapping of keys was the only sound that filled the silence in the air, the unspoken threat of discovery succeeding in conjuring every possible worst case in her head. It was maddening. Every second that went on like this made the roaring of adrenaline in her ears deafening and her breathing quicker and quicker. She forced herself to take a deep breath before she started hyperventilating. Oh god her hands were starting to shake. She flexed her hands as her eyes wandered to her shoes, silently begging for any distraction. 

She noted the sorry state of her then white now brown sneakers. A year on the run, off the grid, had worn them down into mere fiber. She frowned, thoughtfully wiggling her toe through the hole her right shoe now sported. It wasn’t anything to complain about since they barely fit her. In fact her entire wardrobe desperately needed an upgrade as it only just covered her body at this point. Her dusty jeans barely reached beyond her knee, unintentionally showing off her toned calves and copper skin. The patterned t-shirt she wore hardly covered her stomach, filthy from repeated use. She couldn’t even close her jacket, and she had the broken zipper to prove it. 

She sighed.

New clothes weren’t exactly a priority when money was tight.

She readjusted the backpack on her shoulder. 

She didn’t have much as she had to leave her entire life behind almost a year ago now. A couple polaroids of the people she loved. A small journal. Some clothes. An English textbook. 

Memories of her past life. Small treasures. 

She ran her hands through her stark white hair as she forced another shaky breath. Her fingers felt greasy.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. 

She glanced at her companions, trying to remember the last time they were decently clean.

_ We seriously need showers.  _

Another pitched tone echoed throughout the large room, eliciting a sharp gasp from her as her heart skipped a beat.

She tightly gripped the fabric of her shirt as she shook her head and refocused on her surroundings.

_ I need to calm down. _

Her icy blue eyes locked onto the laptop screen as numbers and codes she couldn’t possibly comprehend appeared and vanished as her companion worked. 

_ How long have we been here already? _

Time seemed to be going too slow and too fast simultaneously the longer they all stayed there. This was a horrible idea. 

She, again, ran her fingers through her bangs as she whispered to the youngest of the three, 

“Alice, how close are you?”

The girl on her laptop scoffed, 

“This is the third time you’ve asked me in the past five minutes. If you want to keep fucking my concentration you might as well let everyone know we’re here”

Alice’s eyes didn’t stray from the screen, but Annika practically felt the eye roll from her jab. 

She grit her teeth as she crossed her arms and attempted to hold her tongue.

Alice was the dumbest smartest person Annika has ever known.

She was the one that came up with this “brilliant” plan in the first place.

As the only one of them with any advanced knowledge of computers, Alice was the one they all really depended on for “disappearing” from any place they visit. A fact that Alice relished in reminding her of every 10 minutes. A smirk constantly graced her features that never ceases to annoy the heck out of her. Alice usually wore all black, which contrasted greatly with her pale skin. 

She didn’t know exactly where Alice was from, but her latest theory is that she’s from Transylvania.

She’s practically a vampire. 

Alice’s most distinctive feature is the battered blacksmith goggles that crown her dark greasy hair. She refuses to take them off which has unfortunately awarded the group with a lot of curious stares over the last six months. 

That was of course until they arrived in New York a week ago.

Around Alice’s neck sat a scuffed up USB drive connected to an old piece of string disguised as a necklace. Annika has only seen it once, right when they first met.

Alice had explained that it was her life’s work. Her entire reason for running away. 

...

Quite the rag tag team they were.

Annika huffed in frustration.

“You said 10 minutes and the cameras come back. We have to-”

“Oh my god, would you please shut up. I can’t erase the shit they have on us if you keep distracting me.”

Alice turned slightly as she spoke, annoyance evident in her tone. Annika’s brow furrowed as she ran her fingers through her too short hair and started pacing. Her footsteps lightly echoed against the white linoleum floor.

The expansive room was filled wall to wall with server terminals for several meters. The fluorescent lights were off, bathing the room in darkness punctuated by numerous green and red lights from LED’s. The main source of light originated in the blue light of the laptop screen. When they had entered the room it was chilly forcing her to put on her jacket, but Annika was starting to grow warm as her anxiety grew. Her cheeks burned in frustration and she flexed her hands, itching for something useful to do. As she was about to retort, the eldest girl, having been silent the entire time, spoke exasperated. 

“Guys, cut it out. This isn’t the time.”

She ceased pacing as she sighed and turned to her friend. 

“I’m just… worried Cam.”

Cam, or better known as Cameron, had known her longer than they both knew Alice. They had both gone to high school together. Cameron was a junior. She was a sophomore. Annika had just moved into the area. She had seen Cameron sitting by herself at a lunch table and took a chance. The rest was history. 

Cameron’s warm brown eyes softened as she gazed back at her. 

“When we get back, we’ll go see the Statue of Liberty. Promise.”

Cameron flashed her one of her signature grins. It was strained and showed too much teeth. 

Cameron was currently sporting a dark blue hoodie three sizes too large. It was so big it reached down to her knees. Her hands rarely ever saw sunlight. The same could be said for her black basketball shorts. They could almost pass for a skirt it folded into itself so much. Her hair was regularly tied up in a loose ponytail and there was always a constant flush to her cheeks that betrayed how warm she felt at any given moment. She used to wear glasses, but she lost those a while ago. 

Annika watched as Cameron shifted the weight of her too heavy backpack. She managed to muster a small smile. 

Her heart was pounding right out of her chest.

She refocused on Alice and immediately sensed something was wrong.

Alice was working faster, her fingers were flying over the keyboard a blur of calculated motion. Her shoulders were tense and it didn’t sound like she was breathing. 

“Al, how long till the cameras come back?”

Annika turned her head at Cameron’s statement. The way she said it Annika could almost convince herself they were anywhere else but here. False levity was a skill that she knew Cameron used when she was starting to get stressed. Cameron still stayed slouching by the door giving off an air of false confidence. She saw Cameron adjusting the straps on her backpack as she finally decided to approach Alice.

She heard Alice make a strangled noise that could’ve been interpreted as a laugh.

“You sure you want to know? Might stress you out a little too much. If you know what I mean.”

She caught the dark look that colored Cameron’s features. She turned back to Alice. Alice’s dark eyes darted about the screen, taking in information faster as the seconds passed. Sweat was starting to develop across her brow, as she seemed to be almost pushing herself to go faster.

Cameron sighed, done with Alice’s bullshit. 

“Just tell me”

Alice was silent for a moment, her fingers a blur. 

“About, eh, seven seconds ago.”

Her heart stopped. She could only stare in horror as she realized how royally screwed they all were. She whipped her head in Cameron’s direction as she heard the girl in question begin taking deep breaths, something flashing in her eyes for a split second before it was gone. She sucked in a breath. She had called Alice many things in the time that they had known each other, but she’d hoped that crazy would never be one of them. She knew that this would be a bad idea, that this would all go horribly wrong in some way, and still Alice would not stop typing. Her hands formed into fists as anger began clouding her judgement.

“Are you insane!? We need to get out of here!”

Alice flinched at her volume, but otherwise made no move to stop.

“Argh, chill your tits. I’m almost done.”

She pulled at her hair at the clear loss of self preservation in her companion, cursing whatever god was listening for their part in Alice’s sheer stupidity. She was five seconds away from strangling her. Five seconds they no longer had. She was brought out of her downward spiral by Cameron’s firm grip on her shoulder. Cameron looked exhausted, but a small smile still graced her features. Cameron whispered to her, 

“Don’t worry. I’ll ground her when we get back.” She finished her statement with a wink as she turned back to the matter at hand. Annika, for the life of her will never understand that woman’s ability to try to cheer her up even when the world was falling apart around them. 

Cameron’s tone was clipped as she said,

“Forget it Alice. We need to bail.”

“Just give me 10 seconds.”

“We don’t have 10 seconds.”

Alice didn’t respond, a stubborn expression settling over her features. 

She groaned at Alice’s childish antics. She turned to Cameron as she saw her bite her lip in deliberation. Cameron took a step toward Alice. 

Then everything descended into chaos. 

An alarm blared throughout the complex overloading her senses. She clapped her hands over her ears, witnessing Cameron do the same. Lights began flashing a frenzied Morse Code that forced her eyes shut. She wandered over near the door in a poor attempt to get away from the stimuli. Alice flinched, but kept working. 

“Shit. I tripped the alarm.” 

It was too much. Too loud. She felt she was five seconds away from a heart attack. 

_ God, I’m gonna throw up. _

She made a move towards Cameron, as a headache started developing at the base of her skull. Cameron was slightly hunched over, her eyes squeezed tight. She gripped Cameron’s shoulders and shouted over the pandemonium. 

“You okay!?”

Cameron was breathing deeply, jaw clenched as she forced her eyes open to lock with hers. Cameron managed a firm nod just as she saw someone finally come through the door behind them. Her eyes widened as she squealed and haphazardly manhandled Cameron behind her. The agent was merely a silhouette against the light of the hallway, but she noticed the agent's eyes widen before she reflexively punched him in the face. The agent flew backwards out through the doorway hitting the farthest wall before going limp. A large ugly bruise started to develop on the man's cheek betraying how hard she really hit him. Imperceptibly, the man’s chest rose and fell. Both girls stood in shock, holding each other, as they stared blankly at the SHIELD agent lying prone on the floor. 

_...Overshot it a little. _

“Holy shit...” Cameron whispered. 

She eventually heard the click of a laptop closing. 

“Okay guys we’re good. Let’s get out of here.” She vaguely saw Alice out of the corner of her eye stuffing her laptop in her beat up backpack. With a satisfying zip, Alice hefted her backpack over her shoulder and approached the two wide eyed figures. 

Alice made a questioning noise as she paused in front of them. 

“Uh, did I miss something?”

Alice stood in front of the duo to see what they were staring at. As soon as she did she belted out in laughter as she turned around to face them, wiping invisible tears from her eyes. She regarded Annika with a cheeky grin on her face. 

“Oh my god. Did you kill him?”

“NO! I just knocked him out.”

Alice laughed harder.

“You might want to take it easy on the next guy. Not everyone has your advantages.”

She glared at Alice.

“It was an accident.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Just as she was about to deny that statement, she heard a muffled voice from slightly beneath her. 

“Uh, Ann. Do you mind?”

Annika looked down. 

She was holding Cameron so tightly she was struggling to free herself. Annika felt heat rising to her cheeks as she quickly let go of her captor. 

“S-Sorry!”

Cameron walked a couple steps away red in the face as she hurried to stuff her hands in her pockets. Annika heard her mumble something to herself, but it was difficult to understand. Cameron waved her off as she said, 

“Welp, let’s get out of here guys.”

Alice fake saluted as she remarked, “Aye aye Captain.”

She watched as Cameron cautiously approached the doorway. Cameron paused as she turned left and right surveying the hallways for incoming personnel. She exhaled, nodding to herself as she led the way out.

Alice sauntered after her, Annika close behind

The hallways were a stark difference from the darkness of the server room. Everything was white. Too white. Fluorescent lights lined the ceiling making everything brighter than it actually was. The only splash of color in the place was the agent that now graced the farthest wall. Annika muttered a silent apology as she followed Alice down the right hallway, Cameron taking the lead. 

They ran. 

Alarms continued to blare throughout the hallways making it difficult to hear anybody coming. Every doorway looked the same in this place. It was all white. Everything was blurring together. Every turn looked the same as the last one. She instantly forgot where they had come from, beyond lost as she had no choice but to move forward. Or had they? Maybe they hadn’t moved at all and they were still at the entrance to the server room? Maybe nobody even knew they were there? It was so loud anyway, how would they hear them coming. It’s so bright, how could they even see them coming. 

Haven’t they been to this part before?

...

She forced herself to run faster.

They all followed Cameron as she led them down the path she memorized instantly to be the way out. They had already done so many twists and turns that they had to be getting close. 

She saw Cameron screech to a halt in the front. 

“HEY STOP RIGHT THERE! CODE 13! CODE 13!”

She almost screamed. 

She heard Cameron’s breathing quicken as she saw her whip around to face Alice almost bumping into her in the process. Annika practically stopped breathing. Cameron grabbed Alice’s hand and half dragged her back the way they came as Annika at the newly established front sprinted forward. She didn’t know how many there were, but one was too much. She heard a string of curses erupt from Cameron.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

_ Oh god. OH GOD! We’re not gonna make it! Come on! Go faster!  _

That’s when they heard gunshots. She almost tripped on her feet. From behind she heard Alice scream as the number of gunshots increased. It sounded like hundreds of fireworks were exploding simultaneously. They all made a mad dash forward, desperate to put some distance between themselves and the bullets. Annika whipped her head around hoping to god none of them had been shot. Cameron and Alice were still holding hands, running as if the devil themself were chasing them. Alice, tears running down her cheeks, appeared to be fine, but Cameron was starting to show signs of wear. She was breathing heavily, her eyes screwed in concentration as her knuckles turned white in Alice’s grip. They were several steps behind her.

The gunshots marked every beat of her heart as she propelled herself forward, praying that they’ll get out of here. Half formed orders and shouts of indignation followed them as they ran back into the lion's den. Nearly slamming into walls as she made sharp turns into random hallways, her friends on her heels. She strained her hearing to listen for where they were coming from, but the noise, Noise, NOISE! It was too much. It overloaded her senses. She forced oxygen into her lungs as she tried to get them out of there. There had to be another way. Something they missed. 

The voices were getting louder

_ Oh god we’re gonna die here. _

In a split second decision she took a left down another frustratingly similar hallway hoping that maybe this would miraculously lead them to freedom. 

“FREEZE!”

Fate must absolutely hate them.

Annika skid to a stop. In front of her were 20 agents guns pointed straight at her head. She turned back to see her friends had also stopped running, panting heavily, gazes locked onto the barrels of those guns. There’s so many guns. Behind her friends, more agents pointed guns in their direction. A scream was caught in her throat as she surveyed her surroundings. They were surrounded. There was no way out. Cameron and Alice were exhausted, collapsing on the ground, the same bitter realization settling in their minds. 

_ They got us.  _

Orders were shouted at them as the three girls struggled to comprehend what was going on. 

“PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD! PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!”

Numbly, Annika obeyed. Alice with silent tears running down her cheeks also complied, attempting to stifle her sobs. Cameron sat there frozen. With wide eyes she regarded every agent in the room. She turned to Annika something dangerous flashing across her expression. Annika stared back. 

“PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!”

The agents raised their guns. 

She shook her head. 

Defeat entered Cameron’s face as she followed the orders of everyone in the room. The agents, feeling more confident, approached the group. 

“GET ON YOUR KNEES!”

She complied, getting down on the same level as her friends. They all looked down at the floor. Cameron was expressionless. Alice grit her teeth as if she wanted to fight back despite the tears that refused to stop. She just felt hollow. A year ago she lost her entire life.

Now, 

She lost everything she lived for.

Heh. 

What a cruel world. 

She heard the agents whisper among themselves. 

“Jack what should we do with them?”

“Didn’t you get the memo? We’re at level seven. We gotta send them to the top.”

“Really? They're a bunch of kids.”

“I don’t know. Orders are orders.”

“Ah geez.”

She vaguely sensed one of the agents coming towards her before she saw stars. Black dots spotted her vision as she felt herself falling and falling. 

_ I guess I won’t be seeing the Statue of Liberty _

**Author's Note:**

> Are you sensing something weird about these girls? Just wondering.
> 
> (Hint: I wasn’t very original with their abilities, I just tweaked them a bit... trust me on this though)
> 
> Which one’s your favorite? Personally I am loving Alice’s characterization. 
> 
> I am currently writing the next chapter which will be from Alice’s POV. It will be a little shorter than this one, but I’m having so much fun writing it. 
> 
> Anyways I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. 
> 
> Comment below what you thought. I really enjoy reading feedback.


End file.
